The role of electrical inspectors and how inspections are to be carried out has changed a lot this century and the significance of some of those changes is still coming as a surprise to electrical workers and regulators alike.
One of the hardest type of changes to detect is where a work requirement in the 1997 or previous regulations is not carried forward into new regulations as assumed. And what is impossible to detect is where assumptions are made on the law based on common sense or common practice but are not validated by the wording of the new regulations.
One such regulated work activity is electrical inspection where a better understanding of the changes in the 2010 Electricity Regulations could change the perception of inspections and the law that mandates them.
While ElectroLink has addressed many of these changes over the years, dealing with the latest flu-like virus has raised a further issue.
On Page 6 of this issue, electrical inspector Colin Murphy addresses the situation where overseas customers of New Zealand exporters will no longer accept product from a site where anyone is found to have Covid 19.
If, as a result of this commercial pressure, New Zealand manufacturers and food processors are now reluctant to allow people on site who are not normally there, Murphy raises the question as to how manufacturers can allow electrical inspections of prescribed electrical work to be carried out within this business constraint.
He asks if inspectors can inspect remotely with the assistance of a person on site working under their supervision. He has advised ElectroLink that he is not happy with the responses to questions he put to the EWRB and WorkSafe on this issue and asks if there is a lawful solution, given the available live video technology.